MILWAUKEE (CNS)—Four Catholic priests have collaborated with victims
of childhood sexual abuse by clergy to make a joint public appeal urging
survivors to come forward by a Feb. 1 court deadline and urging full
accounting by the Milwaukee Archdiocese for the "action or inaction that
may have allowed these crimes to occur, the offender to go unpunished,
and other children to be harmed."

Their message, in the form of a full-page advertisement in the Milwaukee
Journal Sentinel Dec. 27, featured a small dove with an olive branch at
the top of the page.

That image sets the tone for the message, according to Father James
Connell, pastor of St. Clement and Holy Name of Jesus parishes in
Sheboygan, vice chancellor of the Milwaukee Archdiocese, and the person
who paid for the $10,320 ad with money from his personal savings
account.

Although he said he had not specifically requested that art appear with
the ad, "it showed up in the final drafts ... and it's a great symbol of
what we were trying to say. It's time to turn the page, there's got to
be another way" to deal with the abuse crisis, he added.

"A Message from Priests and from Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse by
Clergy" was signed by Father Connell; Father Richard Cerpich, a senior
priest of the archdiocese; Father Howard Haase, pastor of St. Mary
Parish, Waukesha; and Father Gregory Greiten, pastor of St. Bernadette
Parish, Milwaukee.

Other signers included survivors: Peter Isely, Midwest director for the
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, or SNAP; John Pilmaier,
SNAP Wisconsin director; Mike Sneesby, SNAP Milwaukee director;
survivors Vicky Schneider and Karen Konter; and the mother of a
survivor, Marilynn Pilmaier.

In addition to encouraging victim/survivors to come forward, the ad includes an apology from the priests.

"As priests and pastors of the archdiocese, we publicly declare our
unqualified support to every victim/survivor. We hold ourselves and our
institution fully accountable for any action or inaction that may have
allowed these crimes to occur, the offender to go unpunished, and other
children to be harmed. We are truly sorry that this happened to you."

From the victim/survivors is a declaration of support for priests who
take "the courageous step of publicly standing with survivors."

The ad includes a listing of resources, including the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, where victim/survivors can seek help.

The group discussed the message and their alliance during a news
conference at Plymouth Church, Milwaukee, on the afternoon the ad
appeared.

Their group has been meeting monthly for about a year, according to
Father Connell, after Isely asked him if a group of priests might join
them to talk—no agendas, just discussion.

Father Haase said he agreed to join once he came to the realization that
"if healing is to take place, there cannot be winners or losers; we
must be brothers and sisters," adding it is important to have the two
groups, often perceived as enemies, come together.

Julie Wolf, spokeswoman for the Milwaukee Archdiocese, said the
alliance's goal of encouraging survivors to come forward for help is
also a priority of the archdiocese.

"Reaching out to them in reconciliation and healing support has been a
priority of the archbishop, of the bishops and priests for many years,"
she said, praising the efforts of these priests and many others who have
done so in a less public manner over the years to reach out and
minister to the victim/survivors.

To encourage victim survivors to come forward by the "bar date," the
Feb. 1 court deadline for filing a claim for restitution against the
archdiocese through the reorganization process, Wolf said the
archdiocese has put together a comprehensive campaign. It includes
notices posted by parishes, schools, on websites in English, Spanish and
Hmong and an extensive advertising campaign.

Responding to the alliance's calls for complete truthfulness regarding
past abuse, Wolf said multitudes of documents have been shared with the
local district attorneys, the courts and on websites.

The archdiocese and the alliance have the shared goal of doing everything possible to heal and learn from this, she said.

"We all want the same thing, for this to never happen again and to be
there in support of those who are in need of healing," said Wolf.

In parting with his own money to spread the message, Father Connell said
he willingly did so to send a message he believes "brings light and
life to something that has potential and promise."

The healing process, he said, must include "having the truth come out."
For him, that doesn't mean reams of documents, but rather an explanation
as to how the abuse could have taken place and been covered up for so
long.

"When I talk about truth, it's not just statistics," he said. "I wish
somebody would talk to us about how this came to be, and if that level
of truth were to come out, I think people would begin trusting their
bishops and the church again."